Thursday, August 16, 2012

Illamasqua Limited Edition Rubber Brights Fall 2012 - Optimist Swatches and Review



Illamasqua has a new, limited edition collection of rubber-finish nail polishes out for Fall 2012. Unlike the deep, vampy colors of the original rubber finish polishes, these new shades are bright and vibrant. The color I have to review is called Optimist, and it's a sunny yellow-orange.


Illamasqua Optimist. This is a strongly yellow-toned light orange with a semi-matte finish. It's not a chalky, completely matte finish. It has a bit of sheen to it and really does resemble rubber. This shade is a little smoother than the originals, which had a tiny bit of a grainy texture when fully dried. This does dry darker than bottle color.

The formula on this wasn't perfect. The texture was smooth and thick, but it had a tendency to show brushstrokes and ridges as the coats dried. I needed three coats to even it out. If possible, try to use as few strokes as you can to apply each coat and let the coats dry in between. Dry time was longer than average.

The new Rubber Mattes come in six limited-edition shades: Nurture (candy apple green), Optimist (warm yellow), Aorta (scarlet red), Devotee (candy pink), Serenity (bright turquoise) and Prosperity (rich purple).

These are currently a Sephora online exclusive. Each polish retails for $14.

(This was sent for review.)

35 comments:

  1. Wow I love the texture on this :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope you can review all the other colors in the range too esp. Prosperity and Serenity as your swatches usually make or break my decision to buy a specific color.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful color! I love the "rubber" finish polishes! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. This reminds me of mac & cheese!! Very cool looking!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whoa, you're right-- it's the exact color of the "cheez" packet in Kraft mac & cheese!

      Delete
  5. The yellow is interesting (and in a good way for once!) but I feel like I really need the green. I haven't even seen it, but I need it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like the warm yellow! Sad to hear about the forumla problems.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooh! This is pretty. It reminds me
    Of my Zoya Arizona!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh my god, they look amazing! I really REALLY want a rubber purple now. Wow.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I really like the rubber finish. Unfortunately, you can't wear a top coat and I scuff up all my paperwork when wearing them. :/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wanna paint rubber duckies on my nails with that yellow.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wanna paint rubber duckies on my nails with that yellow.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am loving this finish! Too bad the price tag is a bit out of my league for a polish... (let alone a whole collection!)

    ReplyDelete
  13. This color makes me crave eggs sunny side up! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love these! I reviewed the other 5 on my blog the other day and I skipped the yellow when I bought them since I'm not usually a yellow but this warm toned yellow is really interesting! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am so excited about these! I really want Serenity.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, by the way, Laquered Lover posted about them and said they're available in the NYC Sephora at Union Square. I believe that's the only other option than online.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was just (yesterday) in a random suburban Chicago Sephora that I've never been to before and they had the whole collection. Didn't buy any because I was pressed for time and I have to go back to the same place several times for a job, but I have to believe that if they had the collection there, which is no place special, they will probably be generally available in store. No inside knowledge of course, but just another data point!

      Delete
    2. Oh, cool! Then maybe there's a chance the one in my area will have them! :)

      Delete
  17. This colour really suits you. I love illamasqua but I'm on the fence about the rubber finish, Serenity may force me to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I tried two colors at Sephora (the pink and the light blue) and I didn't like them, they were streaky and I didn't like the finish.. I saw them in different Sephora stores in NYC...

    ReplyDelete
  19. These were available at the Cherry Holl, NJ Sephora last weekend

    ReplyDelete
  20. These are also available at the Cherry Hill, NJ Sephora

    ReplyDelete
  21. This yellow was made for you, Scrangie! :) It's the most interesting yellow that I've seen in a long time.

    Strange how it took longer than normal to dry for you. I tried the green from this collection and was actually surprised at how fast it dried!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I feel like I've been waiting for a color like this forever. It's my favorite color ever but it's so hard to find it exactly how I want it when it comes to nail polish; usually they're too orange. Finally it's here \o/ I'm so excited. Thank you so much for swatching it, Scrangie!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Respectfully, Scrangie, I'm sooooo over matte finishes. A top coat would make it ROCK! Your nails look great, BTW.

    Scott

    ReplyDelete
  24. So. Gorgeous!! I think I'm in love with them after seeing the promo pic and your swatches. *drools*

    ReplyDelete
  25. Do addicted to your excellent blog. I am on staycaytion stocking up for the year and I have bought more than 30 bottles of polish in the last week or so. I can't put a price on how much you have helped. I teach in a drug rehab and things get pretty hectic pretty quick as the school year starts. Your research and superior blogging saved me so many hours and so much $. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I really don't like the colour but the finish intrigues me!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Just never been a fan of rubber look finishes for nails. I like an all out matte or great shine - always feel with a rubber finish like it looks as if I forgot to put a good top coat on and it's dulled down from being on more than 24 hrs exposed to water etc.

    ReplyDelete
  28. this is an amazing colour!!

    ReplyDelete

Please be respectful. Refrain from using my comments for unsolicited advertising. If you would like me to check out your blog or product, please email me. Thank you!